Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) about the implementation of a Scottish scheme for the disposal of fallen stock.

Ross Finnie: The Executive is currently working with DEFRA and the other devolved administrations to devise an acceptable UK collection scheme for fallen stock. Discussions are continuing.

Airports

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost would be of buying out the public private partnership (PPP) for Inverness airport; whether the terms of the PPP are a disincentive to increasing the number of routes and passengers using the airport; what its estimate is of the total cost of payments due over the life of the PPP contract, and what steps it plans to take in order to increase the number of routes and passengers using Inverness airport.

Lewis Macdonald: The buying out of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) Public Finance Initiative (PFI) deal on the development and operation of the Inverness Airport Terminal is not under consideration by Scottish ministers. The contractual parties to the deal are reviewing the PFI structure, to ensure that it continues to be effective in delivering the intended benefits for the operation and development of the terminal and airport. The Scottish Executive fully supports this review.

  The estimated cost of PFI payments until the end of the contract is based on a (variable) volume based payment multiplied by the estimated passenger throughout. This is applied through a cost model which is subject to commercial confidentiality.

  HIAL and the Scottish Executive will continue to pursue the development of new routes from Inverness and other HIAL airports through the Interim Route Development Fund and the company's marketing strategy. In the past six months this has resulted in delivery of a new Manchester service and an additional London (Gatwick) service.

Better Neighbourhood Services Fund

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money, in addition to the grant aided expenditure settlement, it has awarded to (a) City of Edinburgh and (b) East Lothian council through the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund and other such initiatives in each year since 1999-2000.

Ms Margaret Curran: Neither the City of Edinburgh Council nor East Lothian Council were allocated funding under the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund. Funding through similar initiatives since 1999-2000, for each of these council areas, is detailed in the following tables:

  Edinburgh

  

 

1999-2000
(£) 
  

2000-01
(£) 
  

2001-02
(£) 
  

2002-03
(£) 
  



SIP 
  

6,723,000 
  

6,453,298 
  

6,900,650 
  

7,450,683 
  



Working for Communities Pathfinders 
  
 

149,987 
  

270,065 
  

21,401 
  



Community Budgeting 
  
 
 
 

192,000 
  



People's Juries 
  
 
 

16,000 
  
 



Total 
  

6,723,000 
  

6,603,285 
  

7,186,715 
  

7,664,084 
  



  East Lothian

  

 

1999-2000
(£) 
  

2000-01
(£) 
  

2001-02
(£) 
  

2002-03
(£) 
  



SIP 
  

94,000 
  

128,000 
  

216,000 
  

223,898 
  



People's Juries 
  
 
 

16,000 
  
 



Total 
  

94,000 
  

128,000 
  

232,000 
  

223,898

Carers

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be provided to develop carer information strategies, as referred to in chapter 3 of Partnership for Care: Scotland’s Health White Paper .

Mr Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive is committing record levels of investment in the NHS, ensuring that NHS boards have sufficient funds to meet local health care needs in line with the priorities set out in out in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change and our recently introduced white paper, Partnership for Care . This substantial investment will continue to rise by over 5% a year in real terms over the next three years. Generic clinical standards already require NHS boards to have information strategies in place which meet the needs of patients, relatives and carers. The introduction of Carer Information Strategies will seek to enhance that existing work.

Central Heating

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30388 by Hugh Henry on 22 October 2002, why the information on Eaga Partnership Scotland's website on central heating, insulation and survey waiting times is shown on maps of England and Wales only.

Des McNulty: We have asked Eaga to add the information to their website as soon as possible.

Child Protection

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many reports of child abuse were submitted by the police to procurators fiscal and how many of these reports concerned complaints against (a) females and (b) males in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Mrs Elish Angiolini: This information is not held centrally at present, but action is currently being taking to improve how this type of information is recorded. It is hoped that it should be possible to complete the improvements to our record keeping systems in the coming months.

Civil Service

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs have been relocated to (a) South Ayrshire, (b) East Ayrshire and (c) North Ayrshire as a result of its policy of dispersing civil service jobs.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are currently more than 200 jobs in the bodies covered by the relocation policy, located in Ayrshire. To date, none of the relocation reviews have resulted in moves to Ayrshire. The Scottish Executive is committed to ensuring that Government in Scotland is efficient and decentralised, as part of a wider vision of more accessible, open and responsive Government. We are committed to examining opportunities as they arise and on a case-by-case basis. In this context, no areas of the country are targeted and equally none are ruled out, nor are there any targets for the number of jobs to be relocated or the areas to which they might go.

Education

Angus MacKay (Edinburgh South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the increase in spending per (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupil has been in each year, compared with the previous year, since 1996-97 to date, broken down by local authority.

Nicol Stephen: The information requested is set out in the tables. 2000-01 is the latest financial year for which information is available.

  This table shows the increases (or decreases) in per primary pupil costs (in local authority schools) from 1996-97 to 2000-01

  

 

Increase between 1996-97 and 
1997-98 
  

Increase between 1997-98 and 
1998-99 
  

Increase between 1998-99 and 
1999-2000 
  

Increase between 1999-2000 and 2000-01 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

£85 
  

£65 
  

£218 
  

£141 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

£29 
  

£78 
  

£104 
  

£108 
  



Angus 
  

£86 
  

£169 
  

£94 
  

£201 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

-£272 
  

£151 
  

£80 
  

£235 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

£22 
  

£129 
  

£155 
  

£119 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

£17 
  

£92 
  

£175 
  

£124 
  



Dundee City 
  

£156 
  

£58 
  

£181 
  

£123 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

£53 
  

-£34 
  

£221 
  

£80 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

-£28 
  

£105 
  

£240 
  

£135 
  



East Lothian 
  

-£19 
  

£241 
  

£334 
  

-£50 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

£33 
  

£158 
  

£196 
  

£91 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

£89 
  

£124 
  

£197 
  

£145 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

£161 
  

£340 
  

£406 
  

£429 
  



Falkirk 
  

-£19 
  

£117 
  

£72 
  

£104 
  



Fife 
  

£15 
  

£150 
  

£167 
  

£179 
  



Glasgow City 
  

-£33 
  

£135 
  

£221 
  

£255 
  



Highland 
  

£18 
  

£100 
  

£196 
  

£61 
  



Inverclyde 
  

£0 
  

£162 
  

£240 
  

£93 
  



Midlothian 
  

£112 
  

£89 
  

£216 
  

£146 
  



Moray 
  

£1 
  

£155 
  

£182 
  

£274 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

£65 
  

£77 
  

£172 
  

£157 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

£72 
  

£68 
  

£161 
  

£158 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

-£22 
  

£151 
  

£367 
  

-£19 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

£30 
  

£78 
  

£220 
  

£125 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

-£11 
  

£139 
  

£208 
  

£205 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

-£157 
  

£87 
  

£182 
  

£149 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

£34 
  

£368 
  

£476 
  

£685 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

£76 
  

£29 
  

£336 
  

£82 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

£33 
  

£22 
  

£180 
  

£317 
  



Stirling 
  

-£48 
  

£135 
  

£185 
  

£35 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

£6 
  

£91 
  

£305 
  

£78 
  



West Lothian 
  

-£94 
  

£108 
  

£158 
  

£114 
  



  This table shows the increases or decreases in per secondary pupil costs (in local authority schools) from 1996-97 to 2000-01

  

 

Increase Between 1996-97 and 
1997-98 
  

Increase Between 1997-98 and 
1998-99 
  

Increase Between 1998-99 and 1999-2000 
  

Increase Between 1999-2000 and 2000-01 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

£89 
  

£53 
  

£320 
  

£34 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

£70 
  

£133 
  

£216 
  

£86 
  



Angus 
  

£80 
  

£198 
  

£143 
  

£236 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

£99 
  

£223 
  

£30 
  

£308 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

£3 
  

£190 
  

-£36 
  

-£56 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

-£2 
  

£178 
  

£162 
  

£89 
  



Dundee City 
  

£74 
  

£48 
  

£249 
  

£206 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

£77 
  

-£49 
  

£130 
  

£5 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

-£16 
  

£274 
  

£211 
  

£56 
  



East Lothian 
  

-£130 
  

£148 
  

£331 
  

-£59 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

£109 
  

£136 
  

£200 
  

£69 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

£81 
  

£185 
  

£234 
  

£71 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

£11 
  

£232 
  

£1,128 
  

£203 
  



Falkirk 
  

£21 
  

£211 
  

£127 
  

£897 
  



Fife 
  

-£15 
  

£258 
  

£100 
  

£140 
  



Glasgow City 
  

-£267 
  

£328 
  

-£44 
  

£278 
  



Highland 
  

-£87 
  

£137 
  

£273 
  

£194 
  



Inverclyde 
  

£39 
  

£223 
  

£316 
  

£9 
  



Midlothian 
  

£77 
  

£238 
  

£226 
  

£11 
  



Moray 
  

-£52 
  

£162 
  

£231 
  

£158 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

£51 
  

£181 
  

£251 
  

£159 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

£95 
  

£64 
  

£197 
  

£212 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

£132 
  

£370 
  

£329 
  

£64 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

£102 
  

-£24 
  

£187 
  

£5 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

-£16 
  

£164 
  

£178 
  

£55 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

-£48 
  

£25 
  

£148 
  

£111 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

£304 
  

£240 
  

-£743 
  

£1,151 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

£44 
  

£191 
  

£246 
  

£207 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

£108 
  

£98 
  

£182 
  

£17 
  



Stirling 
  

-£47 
  

£231 
  

£265 
  

£23 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

-£72 
  

£231 
  

£228 
  

£121 
  



West Lothian 
  

-£94 
  

£169 
  

£197 
  

-£79 
  



  Notes:

  Pupil numbers are taken from annual (September) School Census returns.

  Expenditure figures are derived from local authority financial returns. They cover total expenditure met from council tax, non-domestic rates, Revenue Support Grant and specific grants and include expenditure on school transport, milk and meals, pupil bursaries and accommodation.

Education

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to increase the number of fee-paying and grant-aided primary and secondary schools with written procedures for managing incidents of drug misuse in line with current national advice.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive distributed Guidelines on the Management of Drug Misuse in Schools to all independent schools and grant-aided schools as well as to education authorities. The Executive also conducts and publishes an annual drug education survey of all schools, to establish how many have written procedures in place.

Education

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32995 by Nicol Stephen on the 22 January 2003, what forms guidance, guidelines and official circulars initiated by it and the former Scottish Office can take.

Nicol Stephen: These items can take the form of standard circulars, letters, leaflets, booklets, reports and the like.

Education

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend regulations in order to enable schools to negotiate with employers for appropriate school students to have part of their education learning a trade at the employers' premises.

Nicol Stephen: Many pupils in Scottish schools already take part in vocational training at employers' premises. It is our intention to greatly increase the number of such placements, through the major expansion of our Enterprise in Education programme. Indeed, the Executive will commit at least £40 million over the first three years of Enterprise in Education to ensure all pupils in Scotland can derive benefit from its opportunities. One of our key objectives will be the delivery of an expanded programme of work-based vocational learning. Additionally, the Executive will commission from Learning and Teaching Scotland work on improving existing guidance and support materials for work experience.

Education

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to local authorities regarding the discontinuation or closure of schools.

Nicol Stephen: This is not a subject on which the Scottish Executive has issued specific guidance. We expect authorities to take account of integrated issues as set out in the joint Scottish Executive/COSLA school estate strategy. The Education (Publication and Consultation Etc.) (Scotland) Regulations 1981, as amended, set out the legal framework on consultation on school closures, and guidance on those regulations was issued to authorities in 1981.

Education

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any role in approving local authority proposals to discontinue or close schools.

Nicol Stephen: In general, it is the responsibility of an education authority to take any decision on a proposal to close a school. There are certain circumstances, prescribed in legislation, in which authorities cannot implement such a proposal without the consent of the Scottish ministers.

  In summary, these circumstances are where the school concerned is more than 80% full, or where the alternative school is five or more miles distant in the case of a primary school and 10 or more miles distant in the case of a secondary school from the school proposed for closure. There are further provisions concerning denominational schools, but these do not mean that the consent of ministers is required for all proposals involving the closure of denominational schools.

Employment

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it had with Shell UK prior to the company’s announcement of 350 job losses.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Shell about a wide range of matters, and was aware that the company was considering changes to its offshore operations. The restructuring decision was one for the company itself to take.

Environment

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration is given to the gendered nature of environmental concerns in preparing policy and drafting legislation.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive’s environmental justice policy seeks to ensure that no particular section of society suffers disproportionately from avoidable environmental impacts in comparison to other sections.

  The Scottish Executive’s Equality Strategy provides a framework for work in all equality areas, including gender. At the centre of this strategy is the integration of equality into every aspect of the Executive’s work. Draft legislation is subject to equality proofing and is scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament. This integrated approach requires policymakers to take account of and reflect the diverse needs of the population.

Equal Opportunities

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the work done by the Equality Proofings Budget Advisory Group will be taken into account by the new independent women’s equality group announced by the Minister for Social Justice on 6 February 2003 and how the group will relate to the Executive, the Parliament and civic society.

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration the new independent women’s equality group will give to the previous discussions and recommendations of the Women in Scotland Consultative Forum.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Strategic Group on Women was established on 6 February 2003 as a small, independent, short-duration group of individual women to examine what more the Executive should do to improve opportunities for women. It will be for the group to decide what issues it wishes to consider but it will take full account of previous work that has been done.

Equal Opportunities

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are in place to ensure that women's groups and organisations are included in consultation exercises and what monitoring procedures are in place to assess their participation in this processes.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive published in 2002 guidance on consultation with equality groups entitled Good Practice Guidance – Consultation with Equalities Groups . This covers consultation with women’s groups. This guidance is designed to assist policy makers within the Executive to adopt good practice when consulting with equality groups.

  The guidance recommends that after the consultation it is a good idea to ask those consulted about the process and ways it could be improved in the future. This may include reviewing who actually responded to the consultation, to see whether there are any patterns or obvious gaps. This may help to pinpoint any groups that were not contacted by the methods used.

Equal Opportunities

Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will recommend to the banks that, in order to tackle any discrimination against people with disabilities who live in sheltered accommodation, they broaden their definition of acceptable documentary proof of identity.

Des McNulty: Banking is a reserved matter. However, the Executive has regular contacts with the banks on aspects of financial inclusion, and the provision of banking services to a range of disadvantaged groups of people.

Equal Opportunities

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are in place to ensure regular and frequent consultation over policy issues with members of black and other ethnic minority communities.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Executive has been developing a range of consultation mechanisms with minority ethnic communities in line with commitments given in our Equality Strategy and our Race Equality Scheme as reported in Making Progress: Equality Annual Report , published in February 2003.

European Funding

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been received from programmes overseen by the European Union in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Peter Peacock: The following tables show the annual amounts available from the European Commission for allocation to projects within European Structural Funds programmes for calendar years 2000-03 and relates to the 2000-06 programme period. Most of the figures for 1999 relate to the previous programme period of 1994-99. The majority of this information is not available by local authority area and is therefore broken down by programme or community initiative.

  Table 1

  


Programme 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  

2002 
  

2003 
  



Objective 2: South 
  

See table 21


10.533 
  

10.674 
  

10.794 
  

10.892 
  



Objective 2: East 
  

See table 21


47.294 
  

44.259 
  

41.068 
  

37.608 
  



Objective 2: West 
  

See table 21


84.924 
  

81.050 
  

76.923 
  

72.384 
  



Objective 3 
  

93.6042


78.461 
  

74.517 
  

70.364 
  

66.792 
  



Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme 
  

55.1853


56.606 
  

54.548 
  

52.746 
  

50.431 
  



Community Initiative 
  
 
 
 
 
 



Leader + 
  

1.3743


0 
  

4.335 
  

4.084 
  

4.660 
  



Urban II 
  

14.4354


0 
  

1.928 
  

2.187 
  

2.187 
  



Equal5


- 
  

- 
  

0.744 
  

12.160 
  

- 
  



Adapt 
  

13.574 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Employment 
  

5.741 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Rechar 
  

0.225 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



East Rechar 
  

0.842 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Resider 
  

10.824 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



  Notes:

  Figures expressed in millions of euros.

  1. Figures for 1999 relate to the previous programmes. As they do not equate exactly to the current programmes their equivalents are set out in table 2.

  2. This figure includes the former Objective 3 and now defunct Objective 4 programmes as the two were effectively merged into a new programme as part of the reform of the structural funds in advance of the current programming round.

  3. Figures for 1999 relate to the Highlands and Islands Objective 1 Programme and to Leader II respectively which both ran from 1994-99.

  4. Figure relates to the Urban 1994-99 programme.

  5. First year of EQUAL was 2001. Allocations not yet made for 2003.

  Table 2

  


Programme 
  

1999 
  



Objective 5b Programmes 1994-99 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

22.090 
  



Rural Stirling and Upland Tayside 
  

16.922 
  



North West Grampian 
  

22.226 
  



Borders 
  

21.594 
  



Objective 2: East of Scotland 1997-99 
  

48.856 
  



Objective 2: West of Scotland 1997-99 
  

286.375 
  



  Note:

  Figures expressed in millions of euros.

European Funding

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of available sources of funding from European institutions and how many staff are engaged to ensure adequate take-up of such funding by organisations in Scotland.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive, in partnership with other bodies such as the Programme Management Executives, the enterprise networks, local authorities and voluntary organisations, seeks to take full advantage of the various sources of funding from European institutions, as set out in the answer given to question S1W-34834 today. All these stakeholders are actively engaged in ensuring funding streams are fully utilised and work co-operatively to achieve this end. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

European Funding

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the take-up level is of European Union (EU) grants, expressed as a percentage of total EU grants available and what information it holds on take-up of such grants by (a) other regions and nations within the United Kingdom and (b) EU member states.

Peter Peacock: The extent of take up of European Structural Funds by other UK regions is a matter for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Department for Trade and Industry and the European Commission. Take-up by other member states is a matter for the European Commission. The Commission monitors progress and reports to member states through the Committee for the Development and Conversion of the Regions, which is attended by Scottish Executive officials.

  Take-up is measured by the so-called "N+2" regulation, under which money has to be spent within two years of allocation by the Commission. So far as the 1994-99 programmes are concerned, where project activity finished at the end of 2001, final reports will be considered by the Commission over the coming months. For the 2000-06 programmes, the first test of take-up was at the end of last year, where the majority of Objective 1 and Objective 3 Programmes had to report financial performance against allocations. Again, the information is currently being considered by the Commission.

European Funding

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what European funding programmes are available to organisations in Scotland.

Peter Peacock: There are four Structural Funds available in Scotland:

  The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) primarily supports productive investment, infrastructure and SME development.

  The Guidance Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF-Guidance section) supports measures for the adjustment of agricultural structures and rural development.

  The European Social Fund (ESF) supports measures to promote employment (education systems, vocational training and recruitment aids).

  The Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) supports measures for the adjustment of structures in this sector, and the "accompanying measures" of the common fisheries policy.

  These are made available through geographically defined programmes - the Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme, the three Objective 2 programmes (East, West and South of Scotland) and Objective 3 which supports training activities outwith the Highlands and Islands area.

  In addition to these there are four community initiatives, which are worth around 5% of the 2000-06 Structural Fund budget and are pilot projects/test beds for activity which, if effective is then mainstreamed into the larger funds:

  Interreg III: Cross-border, transnational and interregional co-operation.

  Urban II: Regeneration of urban areas in crisis. (Port Glasgow and Clydebank South)

  LEADER+ : Rural development through innovative local projects.

  EQUAL : Combating discrimination and inequalities in connection with the labour market.

European Funding

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what average level of match funding it provides in respect of European Union grants.

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of match funding it has allocated to projects involving a European Union grant in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive makes no direct contribution to match funding at project level. Match funding for European Structural Funded projects is provided by the individual project sponsors, the funding for many of whom comes directly from the Scottish Executive either in whole or in part. This ensures local commitment to local priorities, accountability and value for money.

European Funding

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce training to raise awareness of the availability and purpose of different European Union grants and to provide assistance in the preparation of such grant applications.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has encouraged the five Programme Management Executives (PMEs) (who implement the programmes on the ground on behalf of the Scottish Executive) to pursue actively a range of activities to raise awareness of the availability of European Structural Funds programmes, including:

  the provision of websites and the circulation to all partner organisations of programme bulletins providing up to date information on funds available and forthcoming application rounds;

  facilitation of fast-track applications, rolling programmes and additional application rounds where appropriate;

  delivery of regular application advice surgeries and workshops across the country;

  engaging with target communities to stimulate applications for community economic development support;

  analysis of underlying reasons for slow uptake in particular measures or areas, and

  efforts to promote private sector interest in the funds.

  The Scottish Executive is in the process of implementing a new web-based application and claim form system, which will streamline the process for applicants. The new application forms have been developed and are being phased in according to the timetables of the application rounds run by each PME. PMEs will introduce the new forms and processes to applicant organisations and provide training and support to assist them in preparing grant applications.

Fire Service

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for any reductions in crew levels of front line appliances attending fire call-outs in the Strathclyde Fire Brigade area.

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the Fire Brigades Union in Strathclyde’s statement in its letter of 12 March 2003 to all MSPs that a reduction in crew levels would be a danger to the public and front-line firefighters.

Hugh Henry: This is primarily an operational matter for the Firemaster in consultation with his Fire Authority. The nationally recommended standard is five crew on the first pumping appliance and four crew on any subsequent pumping appliance. There are agreed risk assessments to allow four crew on a pump to operate safely. Furthermore, national guidance for operational deployment requires a dynamic risk assessment for all incidents before work commences. The crucial test, therefore, is not the number of crew deployed but the action taken at the incident to ensure their safety. Strathclyde Fire Brigade, which generally has five crew on the second pumping appliance, is therefore operating above the current nationally recommended crewing criteria.

Fisheries

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when arrangements will be in place to allow white fish landings to resume at Macduff harbour.

Ross Finnie: Whitefish landings at Macduff harbour may currently take place subject to certain restrictions associated with EU cod recovery provisions and other control measures.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of financial support it has provided to sea fisheries in each of the last four years, showing the percentage allocated to (a) enforcement, (b) decommissioning schemes, (c) Fisheries Research Services and (d) other purposes.

Ross Finnie: Details are set out in the following table. In compiling the data, "enforcement" has been taken to mean spending by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. A detailed breakdown of figures on "sea fisheries" is not readily available: data will include some expenditure which may not be related to that. To allow proper year-on-year comparisons, all numbers are on a cash basis.

  

 

1999-2000
Outturn
(£ Million) 
  

2000-01
Outturn
(£ Million) 
  

2001-02
Outturn
(£ Million) 
  

2002-03
Spring Budget
(£ Million) 
  



Enforcement 
  

12.8
(38.7%) 
  

13.4
(42.3%) 
  

15.0
(37.7%) 
  

18.5
(26.8%) 
  



Decommissioning 
  

Nil 
  

Nil 
  

3.7
(9.3%) 
  

21.2
(30.7%) 
  



Fisheries Research Services 
  

13.4
(40.5%) 
  

15.0
(47.3%) 
  

15.8
(39.7%) 
  

16.5
(23.9%) 
  



Other 
  

6.9
(20.8%) 
  

3.3
(10.4%) 
  

5.3
(13.3%) 
  

12.9
(18.6%) 
  



Total 
  

33.1 
  

31.7 
  

39.8 
  

69.1

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its budgetary projections are for financial support to sea fisheries for each of the next two years, showing the percentage allocated to (a) enforcement, (b) decommissioning schemes, (c) Fisheries Research Services and (d) other purposes.

Ross Finnie: The information requested is set out in the following table. In compiling the data, "enforcement" has been taken to mean spending by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. A detailed breakdown of figures on "sea fisheries" is not readily available: data will include some expenditure which may not be related to that. To allow proper year-on-year comparisons, all numbers are on a cash basis.

  

 

2003-04
Budget
(£ Million) 
  

2004-05
Plans
(£ Million) 
  



Enforcement 
  

13.4
(14.3%) 
  

14.2
(32.5%) 
  



Decommissioning and Transitional Aid 
  

50.0*
(53.4%) 
  

Nil 
  



Fisheries Research Services 
  

16.9
(18.1%) 
  

16.4
(37.5%) 
  



Other 
  

13.3
(14.2%) 
  

13.1
(30%) 
  



Total 
  

93.6 
  

43.7 
  



  Note:

  *The 2003-04 Budget presented to the Parliament makes no provision for this spending, which will be made during 2003-04 in a Revised Budget, but the planned spending on the schemes is included here for completeness.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of quota is allocated to vessels known to have been decommissioned.

Ross Finnie: None. Decommissioned vessels are no longer active in the fishery.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of track record was decommissioned during previous decommissioning schemes and whether this level was equal to the total level accounted for by the vessels included in such schemes prior to being decommissioned.

Ross Finnie: Departmental records are only available for the last decommissioning scheme in 2001. At the end of this scheme, 98 vessels had been decommissioned and the licences associated with these vessels contained 317,151 FQA units.

  However, these FQA units were not decommissioned along with the vessel. Once these licences had been surrendered, the licence-holder was given up to three years to transfer these FQA units to other vessels.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of track record has been allocated to former fishing vessels whose owners surrendered their fishing licences under the 2001 decommissioning scheme and how much this track record is currently worth on the open market.

Ross Finnie: At the end of the 2001 decommissioning scheme, 98 vessels had been decommissioned and the licences associated with these vessels contained 317,151 FQA units.

  The department does not maintain records of the value of FQA units.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any assessment of how much funding would be required to purchase all track record and entitlement currently allocated to vessels known to have been decommissioned and, if so, how much it estimates this figure to be.

Ross Finnie: The department does not maintain records of the value of FQA units. Consequently, no assessment has been made.

Health

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive what incentives will be introduced as part of the Performance Incentive Framework, as referred to in chapter 4 of Partnership for Care: Scotland’s Health White Paper.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Performance Incentive Framework (PIF) will be developed over the coming months with involvement from the key stakeholders in NHS Scotland.

  The framework will balance the current escalating intervention protocol with a range of incentives designed to encourage and enhance good performance in the NHS, while the protocol will remain in place to help address poor or declining performance.

  Given that we wish to engage fully with the NHS and other stakeholders in the development of the PIF, it would not be appropriate to outline the likely content of a PIF until we have sought their views.

Health

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what free eye tests are available on the NHS.

Mr Frank McAveety: NHS sight tests are available to eligible groups of patients. All NHS sight tests are free of charge. Where an optometrist or ophthalmic medical practitioner tests the sight of a patient, he or she must perform, for the purpose of detecting signs of injury, disease or abnormality in the eye or elsewhere:

  an examination of the external surface of the eye and its immediate vicinity;

  an intra-ocular examination, either by means of an ophthalmoscope or by such other means as he or she considers appropriate, and

  such additional examinations as appear to the optometrist or ophthalmic medical practitioner to be clinically necessary.

  The following categories of patient are currently eligible for NHS sight tests: under 16s, those aged 16 to 18 in full-time education, those aged 60 and over, the registered blind or partially sighted, people prescribed complex lenses, diagnosed diabetics, diagnosed glaucoma sufferers, people aged 40 who are close blood relatives of glaucoma sufferers, those advised by an ophthalmologist that the risk of developing glaucoma is such that regular sight tests are advisable, people and their partner with an HC 2 certificate for full help under the NHS Low Income Scheme, people and their partner on Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Working Families’/Disabled Person’s Tax Credit where the recipient is in possession of a Tax Credit NHS Exemption Certificate.

Health

Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a shortage of wheelchairs is contributing to delayed discharge from hospitals.

Mr Frank McAveety: Patients awaiting discharge from NHS hospitals are given priority by wheelchair provision centres. There is no indication that the need for a wheelchair is delaying discharges.

Health and Safety Executive

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will discuss with the Health and Safety Executive whether any regulations governing school students learning technical skills in school or during work experience should be revised.

Nicol Stephen: In its response last week to Determined to Succeed - a Review of Enterprise in Education, the Scottish Executive agreed to commission from Learning and Teaching Scotland, improved guidance and support materials for work experience. Among the issues addressed in such guidance will be health and safety for pupils on work experience. Health and safety at work is a reserved matter and falls within the remit of the Health and Safety Executive. The Scottish Executive will therefore discuss with the Health and Safety Executive and the UK Government any proposed changes to the existing guidance or regulations emerging from any review.

Historic Events

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what response it has given to the request from a range of academics, historians and others for support in order to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the first voyage of the Charlotte Dundas on the Forth and Clyde Canal.

Mike Watson: A reply was sent to Professor Harvie, explaining that the Scottish Executive does not directly fund projects of this nature. His expectation that the event be commemorated by debate in the Parliament is precluded because of the imminent dissolution.

Housing

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what bodies were responsible for construction defects affecting housing in Ainslie Road and Maclehose Road, Cumbernauld, and whether it will give details of the defects.

Ms Margaret Curran: I understand that the flats at Ainslie Road and Maclehose Road, Cumbernauld were commissioned by the Cumbernauld Development Corporation in the late 1960s. Details of their structure are contained in a report dated October 2000 by A.J. Balfour & Associates and a report dated August 2001 by the Structural Partnership, a copy of each of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. numbers 27050 and 27052).

Housing

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33682 by Margaret Curran on 21 February 2003, whether it will detail each stakeholder that North Lanarkshire Council is consulting.

Ms Margaret Curran: It is for North Lanarkshire Council to decide which bodies and persons it may wish to consult, taking account of any statutory requirements.

Housing

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33682 by Margaret Curran on 21 February 2003, whether there is any section of legislation that would prevent North Lanarkshire Council, either itself or with other bodies, paying compensation at the level that property values would now be had the defects in properties in the Ainslie Road and Macclehose Road areas of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency not been discovered.

Ms Margaret Curran: As I indicated in the answer given to question S1W-33682, any compensation paid by North Lanarkshire Council will need to be in accordance with the relevant statutory provisions. If it decides to use the compulsory powers available under Part IV of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, it will require to pay compensation as defined by Part XV of that act. This has the effect that compensation may not exceed the actual market value of the property at the date the relevant notice is served on the owner. The payment of compensation would not prevent the council from providing additional assistance to help those affected secure suitable alternative accommodation.

Housing

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33681 by Margaret Curran on 21 February 2003, when the affected properties in the Ainslie Road and Macclehose Road area of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency were constructed; what each of the identified defects in construction was, detailing the effect each defect had on the property concerned, and on what date the legislation that prohibited the practices that formerly allowed each process now considered as defective was introduced.

Ms Margaret Curran: Our understanding is that the properties in question were built in the 1960s.

  Details of the defects and their impact on the relevant properties are set out in reports by A.J. Balfour & Associates, dated October 2000 and the Structural Partnership, dated August 2001. Copies of each are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. numbers 27050 and 27052).

  Advice and guidance on building practice, relating to the use of calcium chloride as an additive to accelerate the hardening of concrete, is contained in the British Standards Institution Codes of Practice. The 1977 amendment to Code of Practice 110 strongly recommended that calcium chloride should never be added to pre-stressed, reinforced concrete or concrete containing embedded metal. Code of Practice 110 was revised in 1985 and re-issued as Code of Practice 8110, which reiterated the previous advice.

Housing

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33679 by Margaret Curran on 18 February 2003, what the latest date is by which the discussions concerning compensation to homeowners in the Ainslie Road and Macclehose Road area of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency will be completed

Ms Margaret Curran: The timetable for discussions concerning any compensation to homeowners in the Ainslie Road and Maclehose Road area of Cumbernauld is a matter for North Lanarkshire Council to determine.

Housing

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what appeals processes will be available to homeowners in the Ainslie Road and Macclehose Road area of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency should they consider that any proposed or offered level of compensation is inadequate and how an appropriate level of independence will be assured in any such processes.

Ms Margaret Curran: Should North Lanarkshire Council purchase the flats at Ainslie Road and Macclehose Road under Part IV of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 the compensation will, in each case, be determined by the District Valuer and any dispute as to the amount of compensation will be determined by the Lands Tribunal for Scotland.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out into the ownership history and current tenure of former right-to-buy homes.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive study Evolving the right to buy: evidence for Scotland included a review of existing research on the resale of former right to buy properties. It was published in 2000 and is available from the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 7129).

  Subsequently, Communities Scotland commissioned research which was published in the report Assessing and Predicting the Long-run Impact of the Right to Buy, and which included information on resales. This was published in June 2002 and is available from the Communities Scotland website.

  The Scottish Executive Development Department’s research programme for 2003-04 includes provision for a project entitled "Right to buy sales and resales" which is planned to examine further the impact of right to buy sales and resales on affordable housing, community stability, stock condition and local housing markets.

Housing

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive where the highest and lowest rates of house price inflation are.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive does not collect data on house price inflation, however, the following table gives information from the Lloyds-TSB Scottish House Price Monitor on the year-on-year percentage increase in house prices, adjusted for the mix of properties sold, at 2002 Q4.

  


Area 
  

2002 Q4 Year-on-Year Inflation (%) 
  



Aberdeen 
  

20.7 
  



Dundee 
  

12.4 
  



Edinburgh 
  

32.9 
  



Glasgow 
  

24.5 
  



Central, Fife, Perth and Tayside (outside Dundee) 
  

15.4 
  



North (outside Aberdeen) 
  

8.0 
  



South East (outside Edinburgh) 
  

12.2 
  



South West (outside Glasgow) 
  

6.9 
  



Scotland 
  

13.0 
  



  There are a number of sources of information on trends in house prices in Scotland, including estimates for Scotland as a whole, compiled by the Council of Mortgage Lenders on behalf of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The Lloyds-TSB analysis of its own lending for house purchase is the only source of information which currently provides estimates of price change for areas within Scotland adjusted for any changes from quarter to quarter in the mix of properties sold.

Housing

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure the availability of good quality affordable housing for those on low incomes in the Edinburgh East and Musselburgh parliamentary constituency.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive is ensuring the development of good quality affordable housing primarily through Communities Scotland Capital Development Programme.

  In the current financial year, it is estimated that 76 units of affordable housing will be delivered in Edinburgh East and Musselburgh. This equates to £1.187 million capital expenditure. This is broken down as follows.

  

 

Tender Unit Approvals 
  

Capital Spend
(£ Million) 
  



Edinburgh East 
  

72 
  

1.081 
  



Musselburgh 
  

4 
  

0.106 
  



Total 
  

76 
  

1.187 
  



  I have recently confirmed the Development Programme for 2003-04. Investment both in Edinburgh and East Lothian will increase significantly, 26.6% and 18% respectively, against the approved programme for the current financial year.

  Consultation with partners is on-going, particularly with local authorities, to agree how these additional resources will be used. Local Housing Strategies are currently being developed by both the City of Edinburgh Council and East Lothian Council and this will inform investment priorities within local authority areas.

Industry

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to Nurturing Wealth Creation: A Report by the Scottish Manufacturing Steering Group .

Iain Gray: I have today written to Dr Chris Masters, the chair of the Scottish Manufacturing Steering Group, responding to the recommendations of the group. I am placing copies in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 27012) and a copy can also be found on the Scottish Executive’s website ( www.scotland.gov.uk ).

Justice

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the rates of drug-related crime were in the North Ayrshire local authority area in (a)1996-97, (b) 1997-98, (c) 1998-99, (d) 1999-2000, (e) 2000-01 and (f) 2001-02, broken down by (i) reported offences, (ii) cases brought and (iii) convictions secured.

Hugh Henry: The information available is contained in the following tables. The statistics relate to offences involving the illegal importation, cultivation, supply or possession of drugs. Other offences may be drug related, such as those committed to fund a drug habit, but these cannot be separately identified within the statistics held centrally.

  The statistics dealing with recorded crime and court proceedings are not directly comparable as a person may be proceeded against for more than one crime involving more than one victim, and a crime may be recorded in one year and proceedings taken in a subsequent year. Charges recorded by the police may also be altered as a result of the judicial process.

  Drug Offences Recorded by the Police, North Ayrshire Council Area, 1996-2001

  


Year 
  

1996 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  



Number 
  

633 
  

669 
  

798 
  

721 
  

845 
  

872 
  



  Number of Persons Proceeded Against Where a Drugs Offence Was the Main Offence, Selected Courts1, 1996-2001

  


Year 
  

1996 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  



Number Proceeded Against 
  



Kilmarnock Sheriff Court2


415 
  

260 
  

260 
  

183 
  

179 
  

206 
  



North Ayrshire District Court 
  

10 
  

59 
  

90 
  

60 
  

36 
  

56 
  



Number with a Charge Proved 
  



Kilmarnock Sheriff Court2


 362 
  

 218 
  

 217 
  

 150 
  

 149 
  

 172 
  



North Ayrshire District Court 
  

10 
  

 58 
  

 89 
  

 58 
  

 36 
  

 55 
  



  Notes:

  1. Persons proceeded against and convicted for drugs offences recorded in the North Ayrshire council area may also be dealt with in other courts, e.g. the High Court, but the number of such cases are not separately identifiable within the data held centrally.

  2. There is no sheriff court in North Ayrshire council area; however, the majority of persons proceeded against in the sheriff court for drug offences committed in North Ayrshire are believed to be dealt with by Kilmarnock Sheriff Court (which will also deal with offences committed in East Ayrshire).

Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will monitor the average level of public liability premiums in the year before and five years after the implementation of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 in order to investigate whether the act has had any effect on insurance premiums.

Ross Finnie: The Occupiers' Liability Scotland Act 1960 provides that an occupier of land has a duty to take such care, as is reasonable, to ensure that any person entering on their land will not suffer injury or damage due to the state of the premises or anything done or omitted to be done by them.

  Section 5(2) of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 provides that the operation of Part 1 of the act, including the exercise of access rights, will not affect the duty of care owed by an occupier to any person present on the land. The extent of duty of care of land owners in respect of those exercising access rights will not therefore be greater than at present. Insurance premiums can vary due to a variety of factors. No useful purpose would, therefore, be served by the Scottish Executive monitoring the level of premiums following the implementation of Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act.

Local Government Funding

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what housing capital expenditure allocations have been made to each local authority since 1996-97, showing the percentage change year-on-year.

Ms Margaret Curran: The figures are shown in the following table.

  Capital Allocations 1997-98 to 2002-03

  


Local Authority 
  

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

% Change 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  

2002-03 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

5.210 
  

5.293 
  

1.6 
  

5.293 
  

5.293 
  

5.293 
  

5.293 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

4.424 
  

4.495 
  

1.6 
  

4.495 
  

4.495 
  

4.495 
  

4.495 
  



Angus 
  

1.513 
  

1.536 
  

1.5 
  

1.536 
  

1.536 
  

1.536 
  

1.536 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

1.582 
  

1.607 
  

1.6 
  

1.607 
  

1.607 
  

1.607 
  

1.607 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

1.573 
  

1.597 
  

1.5 
  

1.597 
  

1.597 
  

1.597 
  

1.597 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

4.186 
  

4.251 
  

1.6 
  

4.251 
  

4.251 
  

4.251 
  

4.250 
  



Dundee City 
  

8.305 
  

8.436 
  

1.6 
  

8.436 
  

8.436 
  

8.436 
  

8.436 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

3.435 
  

3.489 
  

1.6 
  

3.489 
  

3.489 
  

3.489 
  

3.489 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

2.351 
  

2.388 
  

1.6 
  

2.388 
  

2.388 
  

2.388 
  

2.388 
  



East Lothian 
  

2.472 
  

2.510 
  

1.5 
  

2.510 
  

2.510 
  

2.510 
  

2.510 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

0.949 
  

0.964 
  

1.6 
  

0.964 
  

0.964 
  

0.964 
  

0.964 
  



City of Edinburgh 
  

14.686 
  

14.916 
  

1.6 
  

14.916 
  

14.916 
  

14.916 
  

14.916 
  



Eilean Siar, Comhairle nan 
  

1.675 
  

1.701 
  

1.6 
  

1.701 
  

1.701 
  

1.701 
  

1.701 
  



Falkirk 
  

5.286 
  

5.369 
  

1.6 
  

5.369 
  

5.369 
  

5.369 
  

5.369 
  



Fife 
  

6.900 
  

7.007 
  

1.6 
  

7.007 
  

7.007 
  

7.007 
  

7.007 
  



Glasgow City Council* 
  

43.074 
  

43.750 
  

1.6 
  

23.750 
  

23.750 
  

43.750 
  

31.500 
  



Highland 
  

7.119 
  

7.230 
  

1.6 
  

7.230 
  

7.230 
  

7.230 
  

7.230 
  



Inverclyde 
  

3.904 
  

3.965 
  

1.6 
  

3.965 
  

3.965 
  

3.965 
  

3.965 
  



Midlothian 
  

2.090 
  

2.122 
  

1.5 
  

2.122 
  

2.122 
  

2.122 
  

2.122 
  



Moray 
  

1.819 
  

1.848 
  

1.6 
  

1.848 
  

1.848 
  

1.848 
  

1.848 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

2.915 
  

2.953 
  

1.3 
  

2.953 
  

2.953 
  

2.953 
  

2.953 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

12.139 
  

12.330 
  

1.6 
  

12.330 
  

12.330 
  

12.33 
  

12.33 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

0.220 
  

0.224 
  

1.8 
  

0.224 
  

0.224 
  

0.224 
  

0.224 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

2.076 
  

2.108 
  

1.5 
  

2.108 
  

2.108 
  

2.108 
  

2.108 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

8.434 
  

8.565 
  

1.6 
  

8.565 
  

8.565 
  

8.565 
  

8.565 
  



Scottish Borders** 
  

2.362 
  

2.399 
  

1.6 
  

2.399 
  

2.399 
  

2.399 
  

2.000 
  



Shetland 
  

1.951 
  

1.981 
  

1.5 
  

1.981 
  

1.981 
  

1.981 
  

1.981 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

2.862 
  

2.906 
  

1.5 
  

2.906 
  

2.906 
  

2.906 
  

2.906 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

5.767 
  

5.858 
  

1.6 
  

5.858 
  

5.858 
  

5.858 
  

5.858 
  



Stirling 
  

3.002 
  

3.048 
  

1.5 
  

3.048 
  

3.048 
  

3.048 
  

3.048 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

5.569 
  

5.657 
  

1.6 
  

5.657 
  

5.657 
  

5.657 
  

5.657 
  



West Lothian 
  

2.065 
  

2.097 
  

1.5 
  

2.097 
  

2.097 
  

2.097 
  

2.097 
  



  Notes:

  1. The 1996-97 figures have been excluded, as prior to 1997-98, allocations were issued on a gross basis, which took into account capital receipts and they are not therefore comparable with later years. The table relates only to mainstream HRA allocations.

  2. Allocations from 1998-99 onwards have remained unchanged with the following exceptions:

  * Following discussions with Glasgow City Council allocations were reduced in the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01. This followed the agreement to transfer HRA debt associated with demolished housing stock from the HRA to the general fund, which resulted in a net saving of £20 million to the council. The overall effect in terms of available resources was, therefore, neutral. The allocations were re-instated to previous levels in 2001-02. The 2002-03 allocation was reduced to reflect the recent transfer of the housing stock.

  **The 2002-3 allocation for Scottish Borders was reduced to reflect the recent transfer of stock.

Ministerial Announcements

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what ministerial announcements are planned for April 2003.

Mr Andy Kerr: No ministerial announcements on policy or spending issues are planned for April, but there may be a need for ministers to respond to external events or issues of immediate importance, for example relating to any EU business which might take place during the month.

  Routine factual news releases, such as statistical figures published on a monthly or regular basis, will be issued during April, as stated in The Scottish Parliament Election Guidance 2003.

Older People

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many persons of pensionable age live in the (a) Cumbernauld and Kilsyth and (b) Motherwell and Wishaw parliamentary constituencies.

Hugh Henry: Latest results from the 2001 Census, published by the Registrar General on 25 March show that the number of persons of pensionable age living in the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth parliamentary constituency is 9,167, and in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency is 13,363.

Older People

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has undertaken, or will undertake, to ensure that older people will receive fully independent financial advice prior to the proposed changes to the pension payment system.

Ms Margaret Curran: None. Independent financial advisers are regulated by the Financial Services Authority; this is a reserved matter.

Parliamentary Questions

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to how many written parliamentary questions in each year since May 1999 it has given an answer that states that the information sought in the question cannot be provided, either in part or in whole, for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

Patricia Ferguson: The information requested is not held centrally. However, all answers to written parliamentary questions are published on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search ..

Parliamentary Questions

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will undertake to ensure that all written questions submitted prior to the dissolution of the Parliament will be answered in full and made available to the public and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive will ensure that all written Scottish parliamentary questions lodged by 17 March (the last date for lodging parliamentary questions in this parliamentary session) will be answered by 31 March 2003. If, however, the information requested is not available by this date the answer will indicate that the minister will write to the member as soon as possible with the information requested. A copy of the letter will also be sent to the Parliament’s Chamber Desk for publication on the Parliament’s website.

  These arrangements are in accord with the Procedures Committee’s 1st Report 2003 Changes to Standing Orders concerning legislative matters, motions and lodging written questions agreed by the Parliament on 5 March.

Regeneration

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £16 million funding for accelerating land renewal in Glasgow and North Lanarkshire, detailed in Building Better Cities – Delivering Growth and Opportunities , is intended for use at the Ravenscraig site in North Lanarkshire.

Ms Margaret Curran: The resources announced for 2004-06 to tackle vacant and derelict land in Glasgow and North Lanarkshire will be allocated following discussions between the Scottish Executive and the two local authorities, Communities Scotland and the Scottish Enterprise network to determine where the resources can deliver maximum economic, social and environmental benefit.

Renewable Energy

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question 34109 by Ross Finnie on 24 February 2003, when the new survey on public attitudes towards wind farms will be completed and when the results will be published.

Ross Finnie: The fieldwork is due to be completed before the end of March. Substantial work will then be undertaken to collate the findings and to ensure that the data is free from errors. The results will be published before the end of June 2003.

Renewable Energy

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34102 by Ross Finnie on 24 February 2003, what steps are being taken to ensure that the new survey on public attitudes towards wind farms does not include any errors.

Ross Finnie: A number of checks are being carried out at key stages of the research to ensure that the new survey does not contain any errors. The precise location of each of the wind farms involved has also been carefully calculated and mapped.

Renewable Energy

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the proposal to build a 2.2-megawatt hydro-electric generating station at Braevallich in Argyll and Bute.

Lewis Macdonald: I can announce that the Scottish ministers have granted consent on this proposal in terms of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Additionally this consent carries deemed planning permission in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

  Argyll and Bute Council supported this proposal as it fitted well with Local Development Plans. This proposal will make a useful contribution to the Climate Change Programme with few or no adverse environmental costs.

Renewable Energy

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the proposal to build a 3.5-megawatt hydro-electric generating station at Kingairloch in the Highlands.

Lewis Macdonald: I can announce that the Scottish ministers have granted consent on this proposal in terms of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Additionally this consent carries deemed planning permission in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997

  This hydro development builds on existing infrastructure. The consultation process revealed little opposition. Following consultation with Highland Council, conditions were attached to this consent to safeguard local and environmental interests.

Roads

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from businesses and business organisations regarding the upgrading of the A90 north of Balmedie and north of Tipperty to dual carriageway status.

Lewis Macdonald: The North East Transport Partnerships’s transport strategy, the Modern Transport System identified dualling this section of the A90 as one of their top priority trunk road projects, and we have funded a multi-modal Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance to allow the trunk road scheme to be considered alongside other potential transport improvements in the area. The final report is expected shortly.

Roads

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is for removal of the Hatton bends on the A90.

Lewis Macdonald: A scheme to remove the bends at Hatton on the A90 is programmed to commence during September 2003 and be completed by autumn 2004.

Rural Development

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a post responsible for equine matters will be created within its Environment and Rural Affairs Department similar to that within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and, if so, what the timescale for the appointment will be.

Ross Finnie: Equine matters are diverse including animal health, tourism and rural enterprise. These issues are dealt with by a number of Scottish Executive Departments and we are not convinced that a post in a single department would improve the consideration of equine matters in Scotland.

Schools

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the definition of "capacity" is under the Education (Publication and Consultation etc.) (Scotland) Regulations 1981 which states "proposals must also be submitted to Scottish ministers if the school concerned has attendance which is greater than 80% of its capacity."

Nicol Stephen: Capacity is not defined in the 1981 regulations, as amended. The Education (Publication and Consultation etc) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1988, which amended the 1981 regulations, did, however, set out three criteria to which education authorities must have regard in calculating school capacity for the purposes of the regulations. These are:

  (i) the assessment of capacity on which the education authority have based their proposal;

  (ii) the maximum number of pupils in attendance at the school in any one year in the period of 10 years preceding the proposal, and

  (iii) the curriculum of the school.

  An explanatory circular issued to authorities in 1988 indicated that it would be for the education authority to determine the capacity of a school for the purpose of deciding if their proposals require the consent of ministers, and that they must make a reasonable assessment of capacity, taking into account the aforementioned criteria and any other relevant circumstances.

Schools

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any proposals from Falkirk Council in respect of utilising a not-for-profit trust approach to a scheme for school rebuilding and refurbishment and, if so, on what date.

Nicol Stephen: We received from Falkirk Council, on 24 December 2002, an Outline Business Case for a public private partnership described as a not-for-profit trust approach to work on school buildings. The proposal does not involve the establishment of a trust.

Schools

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it or any of its special advisers or civil servants, acting officially or in any other capacity, has supplied any information to any organisation or individual outwith the Executive about proposals from Falkirk Council in respect of utilising a not-for-profit trust approach to a scheme for school rebuilding and refurbishment and, if so, to whom any such information was provided and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: The main aspects of the proposal had already been publicised by Falkirk Council. Falkirk Council proposed a novel and untried delivery vehicle in its schools public private partnership bid. To assist in assessing its viability, discussions were held on the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed delivery model with Partnerships UK and other experts. The Outline Business Case itself was not used in these consultations.

Schools

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22918 by Nicol Stephen on 22 February 2002, whether needing to realise a financial gain from the sale of a school site in order to fund a public private partnership proposal is a relevant financial consideration in respect of school closure proposals.

Nicol Stephen: The particular financial considerations taken into account in any school closure proposal, whether or not related to a public private partnership, are matters for the local authority making the proposal.

Schools

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22918 by Nicol Stephen on 22 February 2002, what balance should be struck by education authorities between educational, financial and community issues when considering the closure of a school.

Nicol Stephen: The particular balance is a matter for the education authorities, taking account of the issues they have identified and the issues raised during consultation on particular proposals.

Schools

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations from (a) community representatives, (b) school boards, (c) church or denominational bodies and (d) parents of pupils in the East Kilbride area of the South Lanarkshire Council area in relation to the council's proposed public private partnership for schools.

Nicol Stephen: We have recently received some representations concerning school reorganisation proposals in the East Kilbride area which are related to South Lanarkshire Council’s proposed public private partnership for schools.

Schools

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations from (a) community representatives, (b) school boards, (c) church or denominational bodies and (d) parents of pupils in the Hamilton area of the South Lanarkshire Council area in relation to the council's proposed public private partnership for schools.

Nicol Stephen: We have recently received some representations concerning school reorganisation proposals in the Hamilton area which are related to South Lanarkshire Council’s proposed public private partnership for schools.

Scottish Executive Staff

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-4038 and S1W-33935 by Mr Jack McConnell on 10 March 2000 and Mr Andy Kerr on 20 February 2003 respectively, what the reasons are for the discrepancies in the figures for its staff employed at 1 April 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: As explained in the answers provided to the previous questions, the core Scottish Executive (Scottish Office) has changed over time, with responsibilities and posts moving into and out of the core departments. In order to provide a like with like comparison of staffing complements over time for the core departmental functions, the organisational structure current at the time of each question was backdated for the earlier time periods. The staffing figures estimated for 1 April 1999 reflect transfers of staff and responsibilities between March 2000 and February 2003 brought about by the removal of the Scottish Courts Administration from Justice Department (110 staff) and the creation as agencies of the HM Inspectorate of Education (150 staff) and the Food Standards Agency (40 staff).

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the provision of appropriate Scottish Qualification Authority courses in photography, particularly at Intermediate and Higher grades.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the Scottish Qualifications Agency consults with English-based exam boards about the provision of courses and examinations in photography that are appropriate to Scottish students particularly in S5 and S6.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ask the Scottish Qualifications Agency to review the Higher Still art examinations with the aim of introducing detailed moderation at the school of a portfolio of work from each student that is representative of achievement throughout the year.

Nicol Stephen: No. This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority itself.

Sexual Offences

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any evaluation is carried out on the reports on sexual assaults passed to procurators fiscal by the police and, if so, how it is undertaken.

Mrs Elish Angiolini: Procurators fiscal subject each report submitted by the police to careful scrutiny and consideration to assess the sufficiency and quality of evidence before a decision is reached about taking proceedings. The police will be instructed to carry out any necessary further investigations. police/procurator fiscal liaison arrangements provide an opportunity to raise any issues arising from reporting. Once a decision has been taken to continue proceedings, material witnesses will be precognosced (interviewed) by a member of the procurator fiscal’s team and the evidence subjected to further evaluation. Every police report prepared for submission to procurators fiscal is subject to internal quality control by the police.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34294 by Margaret Curran on 9 March 2003, which members of the boards of Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) in Glasgow are members of the Labour Party.

Ms Margaret Curran: Information on membership of political parties for members of SIP boards in Glasgow is not available, with the exception of serving councillors, MPs and MSPs who sit on these boards. The following Labour councillors, MPs and MSPs are on SIP boards in Glasgow:

  


Drumchapel SIP 
  



Bill Butler 
  

MSP 
  



Bailie Martin Lee 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Cllr Marjorie O'Neill 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



  


East End SIP 
  



Cllr David Stevenson 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Cllr Susan Baird 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Cllr Elaine Smith 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



  


Glasgow Anti-Racist Alliance 
  



Cllr Hanzala Malik 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



  


Glasgow Smaller Areas SIP 
  



Cllr Gordon Macdiarmid 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Cllr Jean McFadden 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Cllr Craig Roberton 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Cllr Allan Watson 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



  


Gorbals SIP 
  



Cllr James Mutter 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Cllr Allan Watson 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



  


Greater Easterhouse SIP 
  



Cllr Jim Coleman 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Cllr Gaille McCann 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Bailie Catherine McMaster 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Cllr Ronnie Quinn 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



  


Greater Govan SIP 
  



Cllr Stephen Dornan 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Cllr Shaukat Butt 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Gordon Jackson 
  

MSP 
  



Mohammad Sarwar 
  

MP 
  



  


Greater Pollok SIP 
  



Ian Davidson 
  

MP 
  



Cllr Alexander Glass 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Johann Lamont 
  

MSP 
  



Cllr William O'Rourke 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Cllr Michael Kernaghan 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



  


North Glasgow SIP (Board covers 3 SIPs: 
  Glasgow North, Milton and Springburn/East Balornock) 
  



Cllr John Gray 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Cllr Ellen Hurcombe 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Ann McKechin 
  

MP 
  



Cllr Robert Marshall 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Paul Martin 
  

MSP 
  



Cllr Margaret Sinclair 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Cllr Alan Stewart 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



  


Routes Out SIP 
  



Cllr Jim Coleman 
  

Glasgow City Council 
  



Pauline McNeill 
  

MSP 
  



  


The Big Step SIP 
  



Cllr Elaine Smith 
  

Glasgow City Council

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34296 by Ms Margaret Curran on 13 March 2003, which Social Inclusion Partnership projects operating in Glasgow were closed down and for what reasons.

Ms Margaret Curran: The two projects that closed down are as follows:

  The CHEAF (Change Health Equality Action Future) youth project, funded by Milton Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP), closed in June 2001 because it was unable to find suitable accommodation for its activities.

  The Environmental Improvements Task Force, funded by Greater Pollok SIP, closed during 2002-03 because of the withdrawal of private sector support.

Special Educational Needs

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its proposals to replace the present Record of Needs legislation fully conforms with the European Convention on Human Rights and whether it will give information on that matter to parents that are concerned about the impact of the proposed legislation on their children.

Cathy Jamieson: The proposals do not raise any issues in relation to the European Convention on Human Rights. It is a requirement in terms of the Scotland Act 1998 that when a bill is introduced to Parliament, the minister and the Presiding Officer will each certify that the bill is within the legislative competence of the Parliament.

Special Educational Needs

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make available, in full, the responses to the consultation process on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill to replace the present Record of Needs legislation.

Cathy Jamieson: All written responses to the consultation on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill will be held in the Scottish Executive library. Unless individual respondees have indicated otherwise, responses will be available for public scrutiny.

Sustainable Development

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many responses were received to its consultation paper, Meeting the Needs... Priorities, Actions and Targets for sustainable development in Scotland and how these responses were incorporated into Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland.

Ross Finnie: Meeting the Needs…Priorities, Actions and Targets for Sustainable Development in Scotland was not a consultation paper. As explained in paragraph 42 of Meeting the Needs… , the Scottish Executive launched its consultation, Checking for Change , in May 2001 asking for views on ways in which progress towards more sustainable development could be measured using indicators.

  Following this consultation we adopted the 24 indicators listed in Meeting the Needs… . In paragraph 43 we made a commitment to publish full data on each indicator and Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland represents the fulfilment of that commitment.

Sustainable Development

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how information was collected for Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland .

Ross Finnie: The Sustainable Development Team collected the information from Scottish Executive policy divisions and statisticians and agencies and other bodies as appropriate. All data sources are explained, with references, in the report.

Sustainable Development

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new sustainable development targets have been set in Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland .

Ross Finnie: Since the publication of Meeting the Needs… in April 2002, we have set three new sustainable development targets and revised two others.

  In Meeting the Needs… we stated that further information on transport indicators would be published later in 2002. Scotland’s Transport: Delivering Improvements, Transport Indicators for Scotland, published on 19 December 2002, describes the 11 indicators we have chosen to chart progress on implementing our transport policies. As a result we have set new targets for Indicator 16 - Travel: mode, and Indicator 17 - Travel: accessibility, as set out in Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland.

  A new target has also been set for Indicator 5 – Recycling, in the light of work undertaken to develop the National Waste Plan.

  The targets for Indicator 4 – Waste: production, and Indicator 19 – Preparing for life, have been revised, explanations for which are given on pages 12 and 46 of the report.

Sustainable Development

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information was available for Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland that was not available for Meeting the Needs... Priorities, Actions and Targets for sustainable development in Scotland .

Ross Finnie: Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland describes in detail each of the indicators listed in Meeting the Needs…  As stated in the introduction, the information in the report is based upon the latest figures available at the time of publication. This includes the most recent data for each indicator and, where possible, information on the differences between urban and rural areas.

  References to all data sources are provided in both reports.

Sustainable Development

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which indicators in Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland will address effective protection of the environment.

Ross Finnie: The indicators are measures of sustainable development and do not specifically address effective protection of the environment. However, Indicators 1, 4-17 and 20 have most relevance to protection of the environment.

Sustainable Development

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which indicators in Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland will address quality of surroundings.

Ross Finnie: The indicators are measures of sustainable development and do not specifically address quality of surroundings. However, depending on the definition of "quality of surroundings", many of the indicators could be said to have some relevance.

Sustainable Development

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which indicators in Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland will address access to local green space and the wider countryside.

Ross Finnie: The indicators are measures of sustainable development and do not specifically address access to local green space and the wider countryside. However, Indicators 1, 2, 4, 6-10, 17, 18 and 22-24 have some bearing on quality of, and access to, local green space and the wider countryside.

Sustainable Development

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken, or plans to take, to broaden the indicators in to include indicators addressing (a) soils, (b) farmland biodiversity, (c) landscapes, (d) areas of ancient and semi-natural woodland, (e) areas of woodland and (f) sustainable forestry management.

Ross Finnie: As stated in the introduction of the report, and in paragraph 43 of Meeting the Needs… , we will review the usefulness of the indicators in 2003. We will consider emerging opinion, such as that expressed at the World Summit, and we will add to the indicators as and when additional measures are necessary to clarify our aspirations and chart progress towards them.

Sustainable Development

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when a comprehensive strategy on sustainable development will be prepared.

Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34855 on 25 March 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search ..

Sustainable Development

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken, or plans to take, to ensure that all the indicators in Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland have targets and action plans, and what its timetable is for the publication of a revised set of indicators with complete targets and action plans.

Ross Finnie: As stated in the introduction of the report, we intend to set targets for some indicators in light of further policy and scientific work but for others it is more appropriate to monitor the trend than set a target. Action on each indicator is set out in the report. We also stated in the introduction that we would review the usefulness of the indicators in 2003 and report regularly on their status.

Teachers

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will clarify the position in the McCrone agreement in relation to promoted posts for teachers and the advice that it gave to local authorities on the implementation of the agreement.

Nicol Stephen: The agreement A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century sets out an improved and simplified career structure for all teachers which is being implemented through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers. This committee includes representatives from COSLA, the teacher organisations and the Scottish Executive. It meets regularly to ensure effective implementation of the agreement.

Water Industry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it became aware that Scottish Water has increased charges for used process water from filleting machines in the fish processing industry from about 9p to 96p per cubic metre; whether the increase is justified, and whether it will take any steps in respect of reducing the charges.

Ross Finnie: The Scheme of Charges that determines charges for businesses and households was agreed between Scottish Water and the Water Industry Commissioner on 31 January 2003. The overall level of charges has been set to raise the revenue needed for investment to improve water and waste water services. Scottish ministers have accepted the recommendation from the Water Industry Commissioner that, in principal, charges schemes should reflect the costs of providing the service.

Water Industry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has confidence in the Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland and whether the costs of having such a commissioner are justified.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has every confidence that the Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland is promoting the interests of customers of Scottish Water in keeping with his responsibilities as set out in the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002. We expect the relatively small investment in maintaining the Water Industry Commissioner's office to contribute significantly to ensuring that customers will pay the minimum necessary for sustainable, effective water and waste water services.

Young Offenders

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been referred to the Children’s Reporter on offence grounds in each of the last four years broken down in respect of (a) one, (b) two to three offences, (c) four to six offences, (d) seven to nine offences and (e) 10 or more offences, broken down by reporter area.

Cathy Jamieson: This is a matter for the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration. I have asked the Principal Reporter to write to you with this data.